Latest Retail and wholesale News
Consumer protection agency sues Walmart, Branch alleging illegal pay practices for gig drivers
NEW YORK (AP) — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sued Walmart and work scheduling platform Branch Messenger for allegedly forcing delivery drivers that are part of the discounter's gig program to use costly deposit accounts to get paid and mispresented how they could access their...
Man arrested in shooting of 2 security guards outside a Los Angeles Target
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two security guards at a downtown Los Angeles shopping plaza were wounded in a gunfight with a man as they tried to stop him from making off with more than $1,000 of stolen merchandise, police said Tuesday. The guards confronted the man as he left a Target store...
Zimbabwe's new currency woes hit traditional stores while illegal night bazaars flourish
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Batsirai Pabwe picked detergents, toothpaste, snacks and some pasta among several grocery items spread on the tarmac of a car parking space — an unorthodox night bazaar lit by cellphone flashlights and fluorescent lamps in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. ...
California stiffened penalties for theft — and more changes are coming
Californians accused of certain drug and retail theft crimes may already be facing stiffer penalties under an initiative voters passed this year, alongside related bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law. Voters this November overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, which both...
Value-seekers drove 2024's retail trends and dead ends
Value was in vogue in 2024. Shoppers and restaurant patrons in the U.S. were choosy about where and how to spend their money as they wrestled with high housing and food prices. Well-heeled customers traded down to Walmart and Aldi. Diners opted for fast food or home...
Big Lots reaches deal to keep hundreds of US stores open
The discount chain Big Lots, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores and distribution centers open. Big Lots said Friday it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a firm that specializes in distressed...
One dead, two hospitalized after fire at Tyson Foods plant in Georgia
ATLANTA (AP) — A woman died and two other people were hospitalized with injuries after an overnight fire at a Tyson Foods plant in southwest Georgia, state officials said Friday. A wall fell on the cab of an 18-wheel truck parked outside the plant, Mitchell County Coroner Robby...
Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices
Sales rose this year during the holiday shopping season even as Americans wrestled with elevated prices for many groceries and other necessities, according to new data. Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, outpacing the 3.1% increase from a...
Lawyers for ex-Abercrombie CEO say dementia may leave him incompetent to face sex charges
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Defense lawyers say the former longtime CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch may have dementia, and a competency hearing is necessary to determine if he can face sex charges. Lawyers for Michael Jeffries said in court papers unsealed Monday in federal court in...
Starbucks strike expands, closes nearly 60 US stores
A five-day strike by Starbucks baristas had closed 59 stores as of Monday afternoon, according to the union organizing the workers. The strike, which began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks' hometown of Seattle, spread Monday to stores in Boston, Dallas and Portland, Ore....
